Hot Water Making Potential Using of a Conventional Air-Conditioner as an Air-Water Heat Pump

Heat pumps denote a novel technology with great potential to decrease the energy consumption in many industries. It is a device that removes heat from the source at low temperature to the sink at high temperature by using mechanical work. Normally, it uses the same basic refrigeration cycle. However, the difference between a heat pump and a conventional air conditioner is that a heat pump can be used to provide heating or cooling by using a reversing valve. The objective of the present study is to investigate the potential of hot water producing by using a conventional air conditioner as air-water heat pump. Air conditioner with cooling capacity of 1 TR and working with R-22 was used in this study. The room temperatures were adjusted at the range between 21-25 oC and the hot water temperatures were kept at 40, 45 and 50 oC, respectively. The water cooled condenser was immersed in the hot water tank with 40 liters capacity. All experimental data were measured at steady state condition. COP of the heat pump system is compared with the conventional air conditioner. Moreover, the effect of setting room temperature and setting hot water temperature on the COP, time interval for making of 200 L hot water, power consumption at compressor and equivalent energy required for 200 L hot water making are presented.